Photo By Staff Sgt. John Suleski | Lt. Col. Jeremiah Gentry, 184th Attack Squadron commander, addresses the audience...... read more read more
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FORT SMITH, Ark. - Lt. Col. Jeremiah Gentry assumed command of the 184th Attack Squadron at a ceremony held March 8, 2015, at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Arkansas.
The 188th Wing is currently in the midst of transitioning to the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission sets. The 184th ATKS, formerly the 184th Fighter Squadron, ceremonially assumed its new designation under the 188th Operations Group June 7, 2014.
Col. Brian Burger, commander of the 188th Operations Group, presided over the ceremony and lauded the accomplishments of Gentry along with the skillset he brings to the future mission.
"Jeremiah brings a wealth of experience from the RPA community and has been a tremendous asset through the entire conversion process," stated Burger. "He did an outstanding job on our deployment to Afghanistan and has been a staple in the squadron for many years now, and I know he will continue to lead this organization into the future."
Gentry, a former Air Force Academy graduate and F-16 pilot, transitioned to the Air National Guard after completing multiple active duty tours around the globe. He has deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in the F-16 Fighting Falcon with the 524th Fighter Squadron and Operation Enduring Freedom in the A-10 Thunderbolt II with the 184th Fighter Squadron. Additionally, Gentry has helped stand up three MQ-9 squadrons in his career, adding to his experience in the RPA community.
After assuming command through the passing of the guidon from Burger, Gentry laid out his goals for the unit and his leadership priorities to his fellow Airmen.
"The goals I have established, with the help of many people in this room, will help lay the foundation for the way forward and encapsulate what we want to accomplish," said Gentry. "I want to see us move advance, develop and grow and also empower our people. I'll do everything I can to embody those goals and help us together achieve our missions."
He also laid the framework for his priorities for the squadron - mission first, take care of people and have fun - and described how to implement each facet into a new, combat-focused mission.
"Our nation's calling and the importance of what we do, including having lives on the line at times, calls for a concentrated effort to take care of the mission first," Gentry added. "At the same time, I understand my priority to take care of the people and foster a Wingman culture and I hope to accomplish that through a collaborative effort. With those two things in place, I know we can have fun in the process."
Gentry ended the ceremony by thanking those who have helped him thus far in his career and looked to the future with the 184th ATKS, which is comprised of 100 Airmen. The 184th features mostly operational personnel, including pilots and sensor operators.
"Whether you know it or not, it is the people in this room who have encouraged me along the way to take this on as a challenge and to accept it," Gentry noted. "And I want to thank those who have mentored me through this process and I hope to do the same with all of you as we transition to this new mission set."
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.09.2015 14:59 |
| Story ID: | 159540 |
| Location: | FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 116 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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